Tempe Mexican restaurant named one of best in US. Here's what to order at Cocina Chiwas
Cocina Chiwas is a new restaurant that Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin, the owners of Tacos Chiwas, opened in Tempe in February 2023. It already made our list of 100 essential restaurants, but this week, it's also made national news: Along with 46 other restaurants, Cocina Chiwas was included in the 2024 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list.
“It’s an amazing feeling. We appreciate all the love. You know, we are trying to really put Arizona on the map as much as we can with our food and showcase the regionality of the Northern part of Mexico," Hernandez told The Republic. "Mexico is close to here, but may as well be a different world, and to just be successful in creating something that is very near and dear to our heart, we feel very blessed. ... It’s amazing to receive validation."
Read the big list: Check out USA TODAY's 2024 Restaurants of the Year.
What makes Cocina Chiwas stand out
"We are not here for accolades, but live for the day to day when people come in and it becomes a community hub."
Opened in the car-free Culdesac community, the restaurant's design is open and bright with large glass windows taking up almost the entire wall, which opens onto a spacious patio.
Inside, it's all about the details. The restaurant's plates and bowls were handmade by a local ceramic artist, and Hernandez built all of the tables and chairs himself. He also built the mesquite grill in the kitchen, similar to the one he built for Bacanora, which he and Holguin also co-own.
"Only you know what exactly you need for a specific thing," Hernandez told The Republic in 2023. "And I'm a hands-on type of person. So, I've always liked to be very involved in every aspect of the business in that way."
Likewise, the bar features a carefully crafted collection of locally made spirits, agave and other Mexican liquors like sotol, which is used in the Chiwarita along with tequila, lime and agave sweetener. The bartenders are as good at mixing drinks as they are adept at telling their backstories. If you want an education in Sonoran booze, they'll happily oblige.
"It’s a celebratory place for people to come in and feel good about something special we create, and we can share a small bit of who we are through our food and restaurant itself," Hernandez said.
The overall vibe of the restaurant is relaxed and friendly — a place you wouldn't mind becoming a regular.
USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year: How the list of best restaurants was decided
What to order at Cocina Chiwas
Woodfire elote. Corn grilled over mesquite and served under a blanket of lime-chile mayonnaise and a dusting of queso cotija and cilantro, this is probably the messiest appetizer on the menu, but totally worth it for the tart, sweet-savory flavors.
Chile relleno. Presented like modern art, this is not the usual hulking, batter-fried, combo plate relleno. A single Anaheim chili is stuffed with queso menonita, dipped in a light egg batter, fried and placed in the center of a massive plate of house-made chile-tomato sauce and drizzled with crema.
Parrillada. This restaurant is built around the open kitchen that's built around the grill. And there is no better representation of what can be done on that grill than the parrillada. The mixed grill of seared, tender skirt steak, pineapple-flecked al pastor and sweet-spicy chorizo con papas can easily feed a group of four. It comes with housemade corn tortillas and a side of rice and beans that feel like a nod to combo plate restaurants. If you only order one thing, make it this.
Dessert. Don't miss inventive finishes like the corn panna cotta with seasonal fruit compote and a sesame seed streusel. The chef is having fun and you will too.
To drink. If you're a fan of egg whites, a little heat and muddled cilantro, don't miss the pisco-based Trip to Chile.
Did you know?
This power couple keeps expanding. In addition to owing Tacos Chiwas, Cocina Chiwas and co-owning Bacanora and Espiritu Mesa, Hernandez is now partnering with Espiritu chef and James Beard Award-semifinalist Roberto Centeno to open Santo Arcadia, which they described as being even more fire-centric than their other restaurants. "Like everything else we do, there will be a fire element," Centeno told The Republic. "We'll do some outdoor grilling and have grills in the kitchen."
The newest addition to their lineup is expected to open in early 2024.
Details: Cocina Chiwas, 2001 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe, Ariz.; 480-916-3690, cocinachiwasaz.com.
Reach the food, dining and nightlife editor at [email protected]. Follow her @hungryfi on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cocina Chiwas review: What to order at top Phoenix Mexican restaurant
